THiS iS NOW
by ESKiMO0xKiSSES
Summary: This Is Now takes place three days after XMen: The Last Stand, focusing in on Rogue.
1. What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You

It's been three days. Three days since the world that we know of has disappeared. We are final free. At least…for now we are. Occasionally I think back on Logan's words. Should I have accepted the cure? It's too late for that anyhow. I finally have what I want- and that's all that matters.

I gazed out the window. The stars glistened in the midnight sea. Then I started to hear noises. Strange noises. I stood up suddenly, as if I was going to make a run for it. Then I realized what am I afraid of? I'm in the mansion, my home, the safest place for mutants alike.

I heard footsteps. The stride was quick, yet graceful, as if it didn't want to be taken out of the shadows of which it hides. I had a feeling. One of those instinctive feelings where your mind tells you to stay and your heart tells you to go. I had to go. Curiosity killed the cat.

I slide through my door into the hall making sure that no one heard me. I peered down the hall into the darkness. I swear I saw a shadow, a shape, moving. I walked in the direction of the shadow staying as far behind as possible so whatever it was would not see me. I thought seriously of turning back or getting Bobby, but I didn't.

Soon I was in the lounge. The glass doors shimmered in the moonlight like a gateway to another realm. Beautiful I thought. There was a slight draft in the room. One of the doors was cracked open. The shadow was gone. Everything was quite. I walked dumbfounded to the open door. The frostbitten wind blew in my face. Then there was that noise. It was outside. Gathering up my courage I stepped through the glass door and closed it slightly so that I wouldn't get locked out. At that point I had really wished I had my powers to protect me.

Everything seemed so surreal. An echo of a voice. I couldn't tell where the voice was coming from. It was almost if the voice itself was the in the air, everywhere. Squinting to see I looked out into the vast darkness that covered the campus of the institution. I saw nothing. There was a breath, a warm breath, over my shoulder. Slowly I turned my head in fright. That's all I could remember, except for the eternal darkness into which I was consumed.


	2. Your On My Mind All Of The Time

Bobby came to my room and knocked on my door like he did every morning so that we could go and eat breakfast together and then get to class.

'Rogue, hey Rogue, you up?' There was no answer. 'Rogue, you there?' Silence. Bobby turned the doorknob and opened the door. The windows shape was reflected on the floor by the sunlight. The bed was unmade and the room looked the way it did the day before. The only thing missing was Rogue. Bobby started to get worried, but then thought to himself that Rogue had maybe went to eat already or maybe she went to find him.

He walked down to the kitchen to find Logan drinking beer, as usual.

'Logan have you seen Rogue?' Logan looked at Bobby as if he was trying to think.

'Not today. Have you checked her room?' Bobby nodded his head. 'Well then, go check with some of you're pals, and I'll keep an eye out for you bub. There's no need to worry. It's not like she would just leave without telling one of us, especially in the middle of the night.'

'Yeah I guess your right. I was jut getting a little worried.' Logan took a big gulp of his beer and walked out of the room, leaving Bobby alone. He was still worried, but he was eased by Logan's remark.

The day passed on by. Rogue was nowhere to be found. This wasn't normal for her. Hadn't anyone else realized she was missing? It was now late in the evening. Bobby walked back to Rogues room in hopes that she would be there. He knocked and like before there was no answer. He stepped into the familiar room examining if anything had changed. Nothing. Frustrated and confused, he started looking around the room for a note, a sign, anything to tell him where she was.

The sun was setting and the sky looked like a painting of warm colors drifting away into cools. Bobby went over to the window to admire the beauty of the moment when he noticed a golden glimmer. A piece of parchment rolled up and held in place by a diamond ring was wedged inside the window. He grabbed it, slide of the ring and quickly unrolled it. Elegantly written in script was a poem:

_A secret message tells it all._

_Shrouded in darkness on a wall._

_Where you ask? I'll never tell._

_It's in a place where shadows dwell._

_A clue, a hint is what you need._

_Without it you will never succeed._

Written in very small letters, separate from the poem was a phrase that read:

_Tis the begging of the end._


	3. Authors Note

I'm sorry that I haven't been able to publish the next chapter in THiS iS NOW. My computer broke down an, with finals and everything, I my not be able to publish for a few weeks. I'll get the next chapter out as soon as I can. Sorry. (


End file.
